Relaxed mind-set helps Young escape slump

By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- A change in mentality more than mechanics has been the key to D-backs outfielder Chris Young's resurgence at the plate.

"I'm just relaxed, that's the only thing that I've made a conscious effort to switch up," Young said. "When you go through scuffles you naturally press a little more than normal. I think anybody does and you try to find a way to let the past go and push forward and that's what I've been trying to do."

A nagging left thumb injury seemed to be what started him on his second-half slump and caused him to fall into some bad habits.

"We've been trying to get him to stay back," Arizona hitting coach Don Baylor said. "I know his thumb is bothering him, so now you try to be quicker, you try to be faster and it's really gotten him into where his hips are flying open, he's jumping. So we just kind of worked on loading, staying back, see the ball a lot better, get his foot down all the things we talk about all the time. He's had some really good at-bats starting at home."

In his last five games before Wednesday, Young hit .375 and drew six walks, indicating he was seeing the ball better at the plate.

"I still want him to use the other side of the field because he's really narrowed down the field, everything is on the left side," Baylor said. "If I can just get him to just flip a ball to right field, he's got a double or triple. So he's coming along."

Montero turns attention to starting new streak

LOS ANGELES -- Having his hitting streak stopped at 18 games Saturday was not a crushing blow to D-backs catcher Miguel Montero.

"I'll just start another one tomorrow," he said that night.

In fact, Montero said he didn't even realize he had a hitting streak going until a reporter asked him about it a couple of days before it ended.

"Two days later, [it's] gone," Montero said. "It's OK, I'll start a new one. What are you going to do? Eventually it was going to be over one day. It wasn't like I had 51."

In his last 23 games, Montero is hitting .333 with a .955 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

"If Miggy gets strikes to hit, he'll hit .300," hitting coach Don Baylor said. "But when he tries to lift, swing at high pitches to hit home runs ... when he's on, he hits the ball the other way. It's down in the zone, it's not up. When he's swinging good like he is right now, you can just tell the balls down he's rifling for home runs or doubles."

D-backs tickets for possible NLDS start at $12

LOS ANGELES -- Ticket prices for possible National League Division Series games at Chase Field will range from $12 for outfield reserve seats to $140 for clubhouse boxes, the D-backs announced Wednesday, a 24 percent decrease from the 2007 NLDS when the team hosted the Cubs.

The D-backs entered Wednesday with an 8 1/2-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.

Fans can register online for the opportunity to purchase tickets for possible Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series games at Chase Field at dbacks.com/postseason.

Fans have until 10 a.m. MST on Monday to register for NLDS single-game tickets and winners will be notified via email with instructions regarding the online purchase of up to six tickets per game. Fans can continue to register for future purchase opportunities for potential NLCS and World Series games. However, one registration qualifies each fan for purchase opportunities to all three potential postseason series at Chase Field.

"Similar to how we worked with Major League Baseball to decrease the price of 2011 All-Star Game tickets compared to previous years, we made sure to keep ticket prices for possible D-backs' playoff games at Chase Field affordable for fans during the Division Series," D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement. "Tickets starting at $12 to attend a playoff game are by far the least expensive among all of the Major League teams in contention to advance to the postseason this year. The D-backs have been industry leaders in making games affordable to attend for the past five seasons and will continue to look at ways to make sure fans can enjoy the exceptional fan experience at Chase Field."

Postseason tickets can be guaranteed by purchasing a 2012 season ticket package, placing a non-refundable $100 per seat deposit on 2012 season tickets or purchasing a group ticket package for Game 1 of the NLDS.

Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @dbackswriter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.